1996 | 1 hr. 55 min. |
Before Charlie Sheen turned into a crazy person, he starred in this little scifi gem from writer/director David Twohy. You know Twohy has the writer/director of the Pitch Black/Riddick movies, and the screenwriter of such movies as The Fugitive and G.I. Jane. The Arrival is a scifi thriller about a radio telescope operator who believes that signals he’s picking up from outer space are the precursor to an alien invasion. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers. [via Crackle]

1999 | 1 hr. 27 min. |
The horror flick that kicked off the “found footage” genre, Blair Witch is noteworthy for many things. It was an incredible novelty at the time that ignored all the rules of Hollywood blockbusters. It was filmed on a teeny budget but generated huge returns. Warning signs were placed on movie theaters around the world warning that it was causing extreme motion sickness among viewers. Moviegoers piled into theaters to see it just to see what everyone was talking about, making it probably one of the first “viral” hits to owe much of its success to the Internet. [via Crackle]

2006 | 1 hr. 40 min. |
This one’s something of an anomaly. When was the last time you heard of a movie made as a sequel to a video game? The Final Fantasy franchise is practically sacred among its legions of fans, though outsiders still have no idea what all the fuss is about. I’ve never quite understood the FF franchise or its popularity, but who cares about the plot when an animated flick features this much tasty CGI eye candy. [via Crackle]

1990 | 1 hr. 54 min. |
A classic that marked the finale of the “brat pack” era, Flatliners is built on a provocative premise: med students try to find out what happens after death by “flatlining” themselves and then use defibrillators to shock themselves back to life. Kiefer Sutherland starred alongside Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, and a young, not-yet-a-movie-star Julia Roberts. Even though the thrills and chills of the plot are replaced with warm fuzzies by the end, Flatliners is a classic for good reason. [via Crackle]

1997 | 1 hr. 46 min. |
Director Andrew Niccol made his big screen debut with this starkly beautiful scifi thriller about a near-future, genetically inferior man who dares to infiltrate a genetically-engineered society in order to realize his dream of space flight. It also boasts one of the most unusual combinations of talent ever assembled for a serious film. Aside from the main cast that includes Ethan Hawking, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, also appearing in the film are Tony Shalhoub, Alan Arkin, Ernest Borgnine, Blair Underwood, and Gore Vidal. Danny DeVito of all people is listed as a producer. [via Crackle]

1993 | 2 hr. 11 min. |
Okay, so Ahnuld’s most self-aware blockbuster doesn’t exactly have legions of fans. But at least it has heart. Last Action Hero tries hard to say some meaningful things about reality vs. fiction, despite basically being a meta examination of the Governator’s career. Director John Die Hard McTiernan gives it his all, and the script comes from the mind of Iron Man 3 director and Lethal Weapon creator Shane Black. Even if the finished product falters, never quite adding up to the sum of its parts, it has its moments. [via Crackle]

1927 | 1 hr. 55 min. |
You can’t call yourself a real science fiction fan unless you’ve seen Metropolis at least once. Seriously, it’s in the bylaws. Fritz Lang’s classic is the first feature-length scifi film ever made. Its stunning art deco designs are complemented by an intelligent story about star-crossed lovers that touches on classism, worker’s rights, and the dangers of technology and industry. Metropolis is one of the few classics that stands the test of time, and it influenced everything from Star Wars to BioShock. [via Hulu]

2003 | 1 hr. 20 min. |
Shane Carruth’s feature film debut wowed audiences with its in-depth real-life science, making you absolutely believe that time travel is possible inside a cardboard box. But it’s not until science takes a backseat to human power and greed that Primer digs its quantum claws into you. A great example of making a fantastic movie on an almost nonexistent budget, Primer is a modern classic. [via Hulu]

1998 | 1 hr. 21 min. |
Daring and experimental, Run Lola Run is not what you expect. Tom Tykwer’s plot is nothing special: Lola has 20 minutes to acquire a huge sum of money to save the life of her boyfriend who owes the money to a crime boss. (It also features lots of running. Lots of running. Star Franka Potente spends most of the movie sprinting along the sidewalks of Berlin.) What makes the film compelling is that it resets to tell its story in three different ways, with different outcomes each time. There’s some “butterfly effect” at work too, as we get to see glimpses of how Lola’s interactions with pedestrians has profound effects on them in the future. Perhaps most fascinating is how Lola seems to retain some subconscious memory of things she did or learned in previous “runs.” Are they alternate realities? The “many worlds” theory of Quantum Physics? Does destiny control us, or do we have free will? If you’re up for a trippy, mind-expanding theatrical experience, Run Lola Run should do the trick. [via Crackle]

1997 | 2 hr. 9 min. |
Robert Heinlein’s novel is adapted by Paul RoboCop Verhoeven, who puts a satirical spin on Heinlein’s overly celebratory exploration of a militaristic society. Starship Troopers featured a cast that wasn’t allowed much in the way of character development, but that was by design. Verhoeven wanted to create a big war spectacle set on alien worlds, but the way the story (and the characters) glorify war was an irony-soaked commentary on the horrors of war. If you don’t understand it, it comes across as a cheesy CGI fest, but looked at in the proper light it becomes a biting observation on romanticizing war. [via Crackle]

1981 | 1 hr. 50 min. |
Terry Gilliam’s third film, now considered a classic, has something or other to do with a group of time traveling dwarves who befriend a young boy and bring him along on their adventures. They meet lots of historical figures along the way, as they seek to recover a map of time travel, which was stolen from them. In typical Gilliam style, the movie is filled with whimsical visuals and dark humor. Time Bandits is one of those movies that other geeks will look down on you for never having seen. [via Hulu]

About Robin Parrish

Unathletic, uncoordinated tall man with endless creativity stampeding through his overactive brain. Comes with beard, wife, and two miniature humans. Novelist. General blogger and main Gaming Geek for ForeverGeek. Lead Blogger, Apple Gazette.